


Protect and Serve

by magicconchshel



Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Anger Management, But not exactly, Light Angst, M/M, background jazz and prowl, but its there, headcanon building, idk how to put that in the place that says ship so, prowl is nice in this one i swear, sort of realted to this other work I did a while ago
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-19 05:22:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29745633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicconchshel/pseuds/magicconchshel
Summary: After being kicked out from every other Autobot base on Cybertron, Prowl agrees to take the twins on as his personal bodyguards after seeing their potential on the battlefield.
Relationships: Jazz/Prowl (Transformers)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 52





	Protect and Serve

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is somewhat related to this other oneshot I did a while ago. It's called Bodyguards. It's a lot like that, but not exactly the same.

Prowl received Sunsteaker and Sideswipe on the tarmac that Iacon received transports and shipments of material. They were travelling from Stanix, where they had last been discharged from. 

After their latest stint, there was nowhere else for them to go except Iacon. No other base was willing to tolerate such volatile behavior from two soldiers as dangerous as they. One was not assigned to Iacon, one was invited. The Iaconian Autobot base was reserved for the best of the best, not second hand frontliners who couldn’t hold a position anywhere else. But  despite the unfortunate circumstances in which it was forged, Prowl extended an invitation to each of them. 

When Prowl first saw them, they were stepping off of the transport, effortlessly falling into step next to each other.  The mecha working around them were nearly leaping to get out of their way. They were large and carried no sort of warmth in their demeanor. Prowl turned to them as they neared. They did not salute nor address him in any way, regardless of there being a multitude of optics to observe their insubordination. Prowl did not comment on it. 

“Good evening. It is good to see you both have arrived in good condition,” Prowl said. He handed them each a datapad. “These contain a map of the base and the rules and regulations you are expected to abide by during your time here. I expect them to be read by tomorrow morning. Understood?”

They took their respective datapads and nodded. 

“Good. For now, you are authorized to find your room and get settled. I ask that you stay clear from the training facilities and recreational room  until further notice as discussed in the original agreement . Other than that, you are welcome to roam as you please.  Meet me in my office at 800 joors tomorrow. Dismissed.”

* * *

Despite previous warnings from past commanders, the twins respected Prowl’s instruction and arrived on time the next morning. He received a quiet knock on the door and when he sent the command to open it, two hulking frames walked in. 

Prowl gestured to the open chairs in front of his desk. The twins walked around the seating area in between the door and desk and took a seat. The chairs were a bit too small for their frame type, but they did not give any indication they were uncomfortable. Prowl put down the datapad he was holding. 

“Before we start with your latest assignment, I think it would be best to go over my expectations for both of you,” Prowl began. “I would like to start off by saying that I appreciate your service to me. I am aware that neither of you had much of a choice in the matter, but know that I did not accept your employment out of scarcity or necessity. That being said, if this arrangement is to work, I require perfect performances from both of you. When I agreed to take you both as my subordinates, I also agreed to report any misdemeanours from either of you. Is that understood?”

They nodded. 

“Good. As for your responsibilities, the obvious has already been stated in your job description. Beyond that, I will not require much else. I ask that you are on time and agree to occasionally help me with smaller tasks I cannot fit into my schedule. You will only need to accompany me when I am on shift, meaning when I am in my office or other parts of the base excluding my quarters and recreational areas. Occasionally, I will be called out of Iacon to make a trip into another territory. In the event of that, I will also require your aid. Aside from that, I can manage on my own. I do not expect this assignment to be terribly taxing on either of you. Does that all make sense?”

They nodded. 

“Good. For today, you may be seated on the couches behind you.  I do not expect today to be terribly difficult for any of us. ”  Prowl extended servo in front of him, gesturing toward the wall beyond the twins. “ You may select any of the datapads on my shelf by the door. They’re mostly novels, if you’re interested.”

The twins nodded and stood and sat on the couches. Sunstreaker sat with his back to Prowl and his face to the door. Sideswipe sat on the couch next to him. They did not pick up any datapads or look around the room. They were still. Completely still. 

Prowl did not think much of it. He busied himself with the work in front of him, soon becoming lost in the words he was reading and writing. When Prowl immersed himself into these bouts of productivity, the world around him was suddenly of no concern. 

When Prowl came out of his induced trance, a few joors had passed since last talking to the twins. He looked up and found that neither had moved. Sunstreaker was sitting as he had been before and Sideswipe was leaning against the arm of the couch, servo supporting his helm while he recharged. Technically, a bodyguard wasn’t supposed to recharge on the job, but the base was not under attack, so he saw no harm in it. 

“Would either of you like to get your mid-cycle energon?” Prowl asked. 

Sunstreaker looked behind him. 

“You’re welcome to take breaks at appropriate times. It’s simple protocol.”

Sunstreaker rose from his seat and as he passed Sideswipe, he tapped his knee to wake him up. Sideswipe online and looked up at his brother who flicked his helm towards the door. He followed and they left. 

They did not doddle. When they returned kliks later, they each had their cube. Sideswipe held an extra and handed it to Prowl. 

Prowl was surprised when he looked up, but took it anyway. “Thank you. You did not have to. I have my own rations in here.”

Sideswipe did not say anything. Neither of them did. They both sat back on the couch and drank. 

The day ended without event. 

* * *

Prowl was skimming through the files on each twin, rereading what he had already read. When he had read it previously, he had not caught the outdated alt modes each of them possessed. It was a default automobile, the alt mode every grounder of their size would be given before choosing a more permanent option.

“Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, could you come here for a moment?” Prowl said. 

They rose from the couch and stood before his desk. Prowl did not look up from the datapad as he spoke. 

“I was looking over your files again and noticed that your alt modes are still set to default. Is there any particular reason?”

They glanced at each other and Sideswipe said, “We didn’t like what they offered us when we enlisted.”

Prowl thought about it. The alt mode offered to frontliners was a heavily armoured all-terrain vehicle, not sleek or fast. It would be a waste to have mechs with frames like theirs be confined to low speeds and wide turning radiuses. 

“I see, noted. It would be a shame for neither of you to have military grade alt modes. Would you mind choosing one from this catalogue?”

Prowl handed them another datapad on his desk. Sideswipe took it from him and said they would. 

The twins sat on a couch together and began scrolling through. They were relatively mute, but would occasionally point at something. Prowl assumed they were communicating via comms. or bond. 

They eventually came back and handed Prowl the datapad. On display was another heavy duty vehicle, a bit faster than the first, but still with poor turning radius. 

“This is very similar to the original. Wouldn’t you rather have a higher performance model?”

They looked almost taken aback. “Yeah, I guess so,” Sideswipe said. 

Prowl handed the datapad back. “Why don’t you try again?”

The twins returned to the couch, this time taking longer with the catalogue. Prowl waited patiently until they returned with a different model on display. This one was similar to the other, bulky and unattractive. 

“Are you certain that an all terrain vehicle would suit you best?”

“Well, no, but it’s what’s offered to our rank.,” Sideswipe said. 

“Hm, ignore that, for now. Your frames would not integrate well to the models offered.” Prowl skimmed through the datapad. “Would something like this work for both of you?”

They leaned in to get a better look. It was a sleek, speedster model. 

“Yeah, but that doesn’t seem like the type of model the army would be willing to buy for mecha with our rank,” Sideswipe said. 

“Normally, you would be correct. This model is more expensive than the others,” Prowl said. “But I don’t see any reason not to purchase the blueprints. I’ll only have to order one copy, it’ll hardly be an expense.”

Nothing more was said on the matter. A decacycle later, the twins had a new alt. 

* * *

While the twins were anxious to try out their new alts, Prowl had already asked them to stay away from the tracks. They understood why and knew better than to argue, but still looked forward to the cycle when they would be able to race again. 

They stayed away from other mecha in general. They already got looks and sideways glances whenever they were walking the halls, those around them torn between staring and getting out of their way. 

Prowl found he quite liked it.  Since being promoted, mecha would always stop and salute whenever he passed. Prowl had long since grown out of the habit of muttering “at ease” each time he passed someone. But now that he had the twins flanking him everywhere he went, mecha were torn between hugging the wall and saluting.  No one could decide who they feared more, the twins, or Prowl’s authority.  It wasn’t their fear he enjoyed, it was the space to breathe that the twins gave him. 

They would escort him to meetings, leave when they arrived, and would appear at the door when the meeting was adjourned. Like dogs waiting for their master. It was not the compliance he enjoyed, it was the loyalty. Prowl had never felt safer.

He was aware of how  _ odd  _ or  _ off putting _ the sight may seem, the Autobots stoic Second in Command and his two lumbering bodyguards twice his size. But that was the point, wasn’t it?

The twins hardly ever spoke to anyone aside from each other. Even Prowl, who was with them the better part of each cycle, had only ever heard Sunstreaker mutter a handful of sentences.

Prowl knew it was a good thing. For now, it was best they avoided socializing with their peers until they had proven they could keep themselves calm in a difficult situation.  The twins were known for their violent tempers.

Their lack of socialization, however, gave Prowl an extra bit of confidence in them. After observing them, he knew that they would not break his trust or tell others the things Prowl says or does when in his office. Not that there would be anything to tell, anyways. 

But when Jazz wandered into his office on unofficial business, Prowl did not feel inclined to shrug his servo off his shoulder or ask him to come back later. Truthfully, he had no idea what the twins thought of his apparent relationship with Jazz. They had never sneered or flinched or said anything of any form on the matter. They continued on. 

* * *

The twins never brought any forms of entertainment to keep themselves busy when in Prowl’s office. Prowl had told them, on more than one occasion, that he did not mind them bringing their own datapads or belongings into his office, as long as they remembered to take them with them at the end of the cycle. Still, they always showed up with empty servos at the beginning of every shift. 

They baffled Prowl. He often spent quiet moments alone thinking about them and their behavior. He supposed it wasn’t that odd. The three of them shared several habits. Perhaps other mecha viewed Prowl as odd as well. 

He could not wrap his helm around their apparent lack of desire for social interaction outside of each other. From the outside, Prowl may appear the same as well, but even he seeks the companionship of others. 

Was this common among split spark twins? Were they all this reclusive? Or was it a symptom of trauma Prowl had yet to understand? 

He had read their file many times. It was detailed, yet vague. Prowl was left with more questions than he had begun with. He could not ask questions. It was not his place. 

* * *

Prowl’s workflow never followed a consistent schedule. Rather, it came in waves. 

This was the peak of one of those waves. Mecha were constantly in and out of his office  with datapads or questions. He was in meeting after meeting, every klik outside of his office was spent somewhere in the Command Centre. 

He recharged for only a few joors at a time, often at random intervals. Prowl was accustomed to this, but felt guilty for the mecha in his personal life  who had no choice other than to bear with it as Prowl did.

If the twins minded working Prowl’s sporadic schedule alongside him, they did not say anything. They did not show any sign of fatigue either. He supposed that their job was not as strenuous as his won at the moment, but anyone should be wearing down by now. Prowl certainly was. 

But he knew he could persevere through this. He had done it before.  Only this time, the processor stalls were becoming more frequent. Processor stalls were normal for him. By now, Prowl had grown accustomed to the habit of closing his optics and counting every time he felt one coming on.

But with the continuous flow of work and commotion, it was getting hard to find those little breaks where he could clear his processor. He’d had a few close calls already. 

It was during a short lull in his work where his processor finally fully stalled. He should have taken the silence as an opportunity to recharge or at least run a defrag, but he was so close to finishing this project. A few more kliks of work wouldn’t hurt. 

In the middle of a calculation, he stopped. His processor would not continue. It was as if everything had paused. Prowl could not move. He swayed slightly, unable to catch himself, and fell to the ground. 

The twins jumped when they heard him fall. He was in front of the monitor on the wall, the screen still displaying a map, but the mecha using it was sprawled out in front of it. They hurried to his side. 

Prowl was completely unresponsive as they poked him. At first, they thought that he had collapsed from exhaustion, but when they shook him, they realized it must be something else. 

Fearful for their commander’s condition and the possibility that they may be blamed for it, they commed. the med bay and sent for a medic. A small team appeared kliks later. 

They asked the twins to prop Prowl up on the couch with his helm elevated. They did and the medics got to work. The twins loitered as they worked, unsure if they were dismissed. 

One of the medics pulled away. “A crash,” she said. “Nothing too bad, but he’ll be out of commission for a while.”

Another medic assembled a portable stretcher and they loaded Prowl onto it and pulled him away. The twins were unsure of what to do. No one had dismissed them, but they were also certain that Prowl would not require their assistance. The med bay was already heavily guarded. 

They left to their quarters to wait for further instruction. 

* * *

It was two cycles before they heard anything. Prowl’s older brother, Smokescreen, came knocking at their door one morning. He explained the situation. Prowl had had a crash, apparently they weren’t uncommon for him. He apologized for the mix up. They should have been briefed on his condition, but Prowl often brushed it off as “not a big deal.” Smokescreen thanked them again for their prompt reaction, saying Prowl likely would have been stuck in his office had they not commed. someone. 

“When will we be back on duty?” Sideswipe asked. 

Smokescreen hummed. “Well, Prowl won’t be back on duty for a few more cycles, and even then, I think he’ll be confined to his quarters even longer. He’s not really supposed to be in loud or crowded places too soon after a crash. I’d say you both have at least a decacycle of a vacation. Enjoy it. It won’t be your last, that’s for sure.”

The twins waited and waited. They only left their quarters to get their energon. Occasionally Smokescreen would ping them updates on Prowl’s condition as well as an ETA on when they would be back on duty. Other than that, they did not talk to anyone. There was nothing to say and no one to listen. 

“Let’s go racing,” Sideswipe said one night. 

“Where?”

“The tracks.”

Sunstreaker shook his helm. “We can’t. You know that.”

“I know, but I’m bored, we both are. It’s late, no one will be there.”

Sunstreaker didn’t respond. 

“Come on, I know you want to try out your new alt. I do too, let’s go.”

Sideswipe stood up and clapped his servos. Sunstreaker sighed and got up with him, knowing Sideswipe wouldn’t be forgetting about this any time soon. If he wanted to recharge at all tonight, it was best to let him get it out of his system. 

They walked together. The hallways were empty this time of night. They headed downward, deep into the base where the indoor tracks were. 

The race track was large. The pavement itself was an oval with different routes branching off of it. Around it, there were layers of seating arranged in round rows. A few groups of mecha were loitering around. No one was racing, but they were quietly conversing among themselves. 

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe stopped when they saw them, wondering if they should just go back. But when they saw the empty track, they realized it would likely be  their only opportunity for a while. 

They walked past the mecha and onto the transformation platform. The mecha looked at them, they could feel it, but did not react in any way. 

The twins revved their engines and flew off the pad. These new alts were something new. Something entirely new. Neither of them had ever been able to go this fast. It was wonderful. They were sleek, aerodynamic, and to Sunstreaker’s delight, attractive. 

Maybe Prowl was right. Maybe having the right alt mode  _ was  _ an advantage. 

They drove side by side, occasionally turning onto one of the alternate routes. The mecha around them were watching. They weren’t being obvious about it, but the twins both knew they were staring. Their gazes were worming under their plating. 

Eventually, they decided to call it a night. It hadn’t been a long drive, but they had had the chance to test out their alts and that was enough to get the itch out of their systems. 

They transformed on the transformation pad and made to face the door. Out the corner of his optic and out his right audial, Sunstreaker caught wind of a group of mecha snickering and he stopped walking. He didn’t have to look to know it was directed at them. It made his plating sting. 

“C’mon,” Sideswipe whispered. “Let’s go shower.”

A good rinse off sounded great right now, but roughing up that group over there sounded even better. Sunstreaker didn’t move. Sideswipe grabbed his arm. 

They were talking again. Sunstreaker couldn’t make out what they were saying. He didn’t hear either of their names, he didn’t even know if these mecha knew who they were, but he did hear “those two over there.” Or some variation of it. 

That was all the invitation Sunstreaker needed. 

Sideswipe tried to call after him. He was several paces behind Sunstreaker and could catch up to him if he ran, but he would much rather Sunstreaker stop on his own. He wasn’t doing so. 

He was right on top of the group. He gave the first hit. The mech dodged and hit him back, right in the face plates. They were expecting him. 

Sideswipe lunged. 

* * *

Prowl had realized the significance of the ping when it first arrived. He was lying comfortably in his berth. The room was dark and cold like Prowl liked it when recovering from a crash. There was a fan in the corner, on but facing the wall so it only supplied white noise. Jazz was beside him, recharging. His partner had been discreetly staying with him, recharging in his berth at night. Unlike the other nights when he stayed over, Jazz was actually staying on his side of the berth. Prowl recharged better that way. 

He sat up to check the ping. Jazz stirred next to him. 

“What is it?” he asked. 

Now sitting on the edge, Prowl reached back and patted his side. “It’s nothing. Go back to recharge.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’ve just got to take care of something real quick.”

Jazz rolled over and tried sitting up, still very much in recharge. “You aren’t supposed to leave.”

“I know, this is for personal matters though. I’ll be back in a klik.”

Prowl left and Jazz stayed behind. He trudged across the base, slower than usual due to his mildly disoriented state. He made it to his destination just fine though, albeit a little slow. 

When he arrived at Ironhide’s office, both he and the twins were waiting. Despite having just broken up a brawl, he looked as tired as Prowl felt. But even though he had just broken up a fight, he looked unharmed. Behind him, the twins were each sitting in a seat at Ironhide’s desk. Their backs were turned, but he could still see the damage done to their frames. He wondered if it was the mecha who had provoked them or Ironhide who had dented them. 

Prowl stepped inside and stood in their line vision. They did not look at him, but instead continued to angle their optics downward. 

“I thought it would be best for you to decide what we do with ‘em,” Ironhide said. 

“Yes, I agree,” Prowl said. “I’d like to take them with me, if you don’t mind.”

He put his servos up. “By all means, more recharge for me.”

“Thank you.”

Prowl nodded to the twins and motioned toward the door. They got up and obediently filed out. Prowl said one last thing to Ironhide before following them and taking the lead back to his office. 

Upon entering, Prowl muttered, “sit”, punctuating the word as he said it, and took his usual seat at his desk. It had been a while since he’d sat here. 

He settled in and began, “I won’t ask what happened. I’m sure the security footage will speak for itself. The story I was told was that you attacked a group of bystanders at the tracks, unprovoked.”

“We were provoked,” Sunstreaker said. 

“We weren’t,” Sideswipe said. 

“We were.”

Prowl looked between them as they spoke. He had never seen or heard them argue. 

He spoke to Sunstreaker, “Did they say anything to you?”

Sunstreaker answered, “No.”

“Did they do anything to you or towards you?”

“No.”

“Sunstreaker, this sounds like it was an unprovoked attack.”

“It was,” Sideswipe added. 

“It was not.”

Prowl raised his servo. “Enough. I will not be dealing with this banter right now. You’re lucky I’m too tired to be angry right now.” Prowl flattened his servos on the table and addressed them both at once, “This will have serious implications, on both you and me. I can protect you one last time, but if this happens again, I will have no choice but to discharge both of you. Do I make myself clear?”

They nodded. 

“Good. Now, I’m not sure how your probation will be handled. It depends if the mecha injured will press charges. I have no doubt that they will. But regardless, your restrictions will be even tighter. I suspect you will not be allowed in any space other than your quarters or my office. Not even the rec room to get your energon. We’ll work out some sort of pick up system at a later date. Other areas like the wash racks or med bay can be accessed in the event of an emergency or during scheduled times where pede traffic in those areas is at a minimum. Will you be able to abide by these conditions?”

They nodded. 

“Good. I would continue, but I really do need to recharge. More so than usual. I’ll walk you to the med bay and explain what happened. Do exactly what the medics say and don’t talk back, understand?”

Prowl stood up and the twins followed him with their optics. They nodded. 

“Good. Come on.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm looking to up the quality of the fics I'm posting, so I might post less often 'cause i was posting so often before like idek, i get ideas and i have to write them down otherwise i will forget them because i forget everything so now i just have a bunch of minifics and nothing to do w them so i post them and yeah. i also wanna put more effort into, like writing, but also tagging. anyways :) hope u enjoyed <3


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